


Tackling the Tree

by JA_Authoress



Series: Muggle Mishaps [8]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas 1978, F/M, Fluff, M/M, jily, not so obviously but it's getting there, obviously, wolfstar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-05
Updated: 2015-12-05
Packaged: 2018-05-05 02:16:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5357180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JA_Authoress/pseuds/JA_Authoress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>December 4, 1978</p><p>“Moony! You’re finally home!” he noticed Remus’s twitchy hand.  “What’s wrong? You usually don’t get the shakes until the day of the full moon.”</p><p>“Well, I saw you, grinning with an axe, and thought: Run? Hide? Play dead?”</p><p>Sirius drags the Marauders + Lily on the quest to find the perfect Christmas tree.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tackling the Tree

December 4, 1978

Remus was dead tired. After the extensive stocking selection process that occurred yesterday, he was treated to a morning shift at the bakery (his current employment, super muggle. Sirius said he wanted to work there too. Remus shot him down immediately), which involved him waking up at 4am.

On the plus side, this meant he was back home in their flat by 12:30 pm, just in time for lunch.

However, Remus was not greeted by the luxurious smell of Sirius’s French Toast. Instead, he was greeted by the sight of Sirius holding a rather large axe in the middle of their living room.

The werewolf paused on his way to his bedroom, hand slowly twitching towards his wand.

Sirius whirled around with a grin. 

“Moony! You’re finally home!” he noticed Remus’s twitchy hand. “What’s wrong? You usually don’t get the shakes until the day of the full moon.”

“Well, I saw you, grinning with an axe, and thought: Run? Hide? Play dead?”

“All viable options, I’m sure.”

“What are you doing?”

“We’re meeting Wormy, Prongs, and Evans downstairs in ten minutes, then we’re driving into the countryside and picking out a Christmas tree!”

Remus’s stomach growled. Then he scowled. Then he growled. 

“Oh, you’re hungry! I’ll get right on that.” Sirius scampered into the kitchen in front of Remus. He was still carrying his axe. This brought a whole new level of hazard to their lives.

“Who gave that to you?” Remus called from his bedroom as he changed out of his work clothes. He smelt like an oversized loaf of bread. There was probably still flour in his hair, but with all the grey that was going on up there anyways, it probably wasn’t very noticeable. Plus, he’d been given very little warning of this excursion, so everyone else was going to have to deal with it.

“I borrowed it from Sarah! You remember the lovely shopkeeper who helped me with the stockings yesterday.”

“How could I forget about her?” He was going to have to have a conversation with her. She couldn’t be giving Sirius muggle contraptions all willy-nilly. Someone was going to lose a limb, or at least copious amounts of blood.

“She said I was welcome to come visit her any time. We’re having tea some time after the holidays. We’re both too busy this month.”

“That will be nice for you.”

“You’re coming! You have to help me with anything muggle that comes up that I haven’t learned about yet.”

“Of course.”

Sirius thrust a paper bag into Remus’s face the second he walked back out of his bedroom.

“Here’s your lunch! Sorry it isn’t French Toast. I’ll make that tomorrow, okay?” Before Remus could reply, Sirius stuck his nose into his hair, breathing deeply. “You smell so good! I don’t understand why you say I wouldn’t like working there. You always come home smelling wonderful.”

Once Remus finally managed to contain his blush, he took the offered paper bag. 

“How exactly are we getting to the countryside? We can’t Apparate back to the flat after, and trees don’t exactly like being shrunk.”

“Lily borrowed a van from one of her muggle neighbours I think. She said she might let me drive it!”

Remus made a face.

“Oi! I taught myself how to drive a motorcycle.”

“And James is the only one insane enough to fly with you in the passenger car.”

“Just you wait, Moony. I’ll get you in there some day.”

*One hour later*

“Are we there yet?” Peter questioned loudly from the back seat. He was uncomfortably squished in the middle.

Sirius had taken his Animagus form and was currently half on Peter, mostly on Remus with his head out the window. It was very cold. Luckily, Remus remembered to wear his warmest hat and scarf. The ones without holes. Sirius had gotten them for him in sixth year.

“Dear Merlin, please say yes,” Remus half-pleaded. He was trying very hard not to focus on the fact that his best friend was in his lap and moving around far too much.

“Bunch of whiny wizards,” Lily muttered darkly. “Yes! Finally.”

She pulled into a parking lot a few minutes later. The second she put it into part, Sirius (in human form once again) bounced out over Remus, even thought he had a perfectly good door to use on his side. 

“All right you lot, follow me. We get our tree from here every year. I know where the best patch it. Remus, keep an eye on Sirius.”

Remus automatically reached out and grabbed his friend by the scarf. He’d already started wandering off, axe in hand.

“This way, Padfoot.”

“Cheers, Moony! We’re gonna find us the best tree, right?”

“Eight feet all, remember?” Remus smirked.

Sirius linked arms with him. Remus thought this was a great idea, you know, so he didn’t go wandering off to scare little children and what have you.

*Two hours later*

“Bloody hell, Black, just pick a sodding tree already!” Lily cursed. 

Lily never cursed. 

Peter cowered slightly behind Remus. 

James was looking at his future wife with a newfound appreciation and admiration.

It had also started snowing about twenty minutes ago. It was festive and all, but enough was enough.

“Padfoot, mate, please just pick one. I’m cold, I’m tired. I haven’t had my afternoon tea. My feet are cold. I was up at 4 this morning. Is any of this evoking any sympathy?”

Sirius, still dutifully carrying his borrowed axe, stopped and gave him an unreadable expression. 

“Moony, you remember in fourth year, when you invited us all over to your place for Christmas Eve dinner?”

“Yes, why?” It had been a rather normal dinner. Nothing abnormal stood out for him.

“Remember the tree?”

The tree had also been quite normal. Probably about eight feet. It was full, and smelt just as fresh as the day his dad had cut it down. His mum had decorated it in simple white lights, decorations dating back years with loads of sentimental value, and a paper chain Remus had made back when he was about six years old that did not fit the whole theme of the tree.

Sirius had spent an extraordinary amount of time staring at it, though, come to think of it.

“Yeah, I do.”

“I want that tree.”

Remus smiled at Sirius’s determination. He wasn’t going to leave without his perfect tree. Maybe he needed a little nudge in the right direction.

“Well, I usually helped Dad pick out the Christmas tree, want me to help?”

“Ta, Moony!” 

“What about that one?” Remus pointed at a tree a little off the path. It was actually one of the first ones Lily had suggested, as she whispered loudly to James, socking him in the arm. It was a little under eight feet (luckily for their flat), and had the deepest green needles of all the trees surrounding it.

“It’s perfect!” 

“Good, now maybe we can let Lily—”

“Oh, no, I’m cutting this one down myself!”

Remus made a strangled sound in the back of his throat as Sirius stalked towards the tree with the axe raised high above his head.

“Padfoot, that’s not how you cut down a tree!”

“Moony! Give me back my axe!”

“No.”

“Moooooooonnnnnnnnnnnyyyyyyyyyyy!”

**Author's Note:**

> I love getting comments from you guys! They seriously make my day. To everyone who's commented so far, thank you. To everyone who hits on my stories (I see you too), thank you, too!
> 
> I actually really like this one. It's kind of cute. (Although the title was really hard to come up with for some reason... Kudos to my best friend for helping me out with that!)
> 
> Please leave a kudos, or comment, or both! I hope your Christmas tree selection went much smoother than Remus's.


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